Students’ miners’ fight night cancelled

A SOCIAL event set up by a university college rugby team, due to depict the battle between miners and Margaret Thatcher’s government, has been cancelled amid “deep concerns”.

Members of the Trevelyan college rugby team at Durham University were asked to come with “flat caps, filth and a general disregard for personal safety” in order to represent the miners.

On the Facebook event, students were also told to “think pickaxes. Think headlamps. Think 12% unemployment in 1984” in order to prepare for the evening.

Labelled as the “Forwards vs Backs” social, the other half of the squad were asked to come as Margaret Thatcher’s government, so that the tensions of the miners’ strike could be recreated.

Players were asked to turn up as “working-class-beating-bobbies” or “Falkland War heroes”, with one student due to turn up as “the Iron Lady herself”.

However, complaints from the Durham Miners’ Association led to the cancellation of the event, due to take place on Wednesday, and has left the university wondering what further action to take.

A short statement on Durham Miners’ Association Facebook page read: “We will be writing to the college and the university to voice our deep concerns.”

Owen Adams, Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Durham University, said: “Durham University and Trevelyan College utterly deplore this event which is wholly unacceptable.

“The event has been cancelled by the students concerned. We are speaking to those students and we are considering what further action to take.

“We know that most students are active and positive residents of their communities.

Mr Adams continued: “Regrettably, there are occasions where student behaviour falls short of the standards we expect.

“We have a very active education programme that explains our code of conduct for those living in the local community.

“This code of conduct highlights that the university reserves the right to take appropriate action against those who fall short of these standards.”